


The One Worth Leaving

by kashmir



Series: Kings Among Runaways [3]
Category: The Faculty (1998)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-22
Updated: 2005-08-22
Packaged: 2017-10-08 16:00:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/77349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kashmir/pseuds/kashmir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Casey and Zeke try to make Washington, D.C. home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The One Worth Leaving

**Author's Note:**

> Is a sort of sequel to my fics [Kings Among Runaways](http://www.livejournal.com/users/kashmir1s_fic/7306.html) and [Sleeping In Sundays](http://www.livejournal.com/users/kashmir1s_fic/7561.html#cutid1). Title blatantly stolen from and inspired in a way known only to me by The Postal Service's "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight."

They had traded Baltimore in for DC in March. Casey had managed to secure himself a reporting job at a small indie paper and what it lacked in pay, he made up for in experience. Zeke was still bar tending, though this time it was at a local tavern, two blocks over and one block down from their current address.

Two months after they had moved, Zeke still missed their shitty efficiency in Baltimore. Well, he didn't miss the roaches and he didn't miss the hit and miss A/C that only ever seemed to work in the winter. He missed the fact that after two years, it had become home. This generic apartment (while it was actually better living conditions) didn't quite seem like home. Not yet anyway. Zeke knew he was being impatient but he always had been an instant gratification junkie.

So one Sunday, after a satisfying bout of lazy lovemaking, Casey finally got out of his lover what his problem was. After that, Casey became a man with a mission, intent on making Zeke feel like this new city was home. Zeke didn't want to squelch the younger man's enthusiasm, didn't want to get all sentimental and tell him that it didn't really matter where there were as long as they were together. So he let him go and just held on for the ride.

Over the following three weekends, whenever they weren't working, Casey dragged Zeke all over the district. To fountains, parks, monuments, bars, shops, diners -- you name it, they were there. And everywhere they went, Casey snapped pictures. Of Zeke, of randoms, of scenery and animals.

Those pics were soon framed and mounted on the walls. Within two months, they had so many pics of their new home (Zeke was willing to start thinking of it as home now) that they had to rotate them every so often. Casey was doing well with his reporting job, getting bigger and more important assignments every week and Zeke was just happy to be out among 'his people' as he called them night after night.

They laughed. They loved. They were happy.

*****

Six months had gone by. The summer was waning fast and autumn was overtaking the capital city. They were on their way home on a crisp Friday night. They were both off -- a rarity and had indulged in Thai takeout and as many cheesy movies as they could carry from the video store down the street.

They made their way down the small side street to their gate, laughing as Zeke tried to tip the stack of movies out of Casey's hands. Their laughter died as they noticed someone standing not ten feet from their front door. Someone they hadn't really ever expected to see again. Not outside of Ohio anyway. Someone who very definitely was staring right at them.

Delilah.

Casey immediately clammed up and Zeke felt his hackles rise and his signature attitude slide back over him. It was something he hadn't felt for two years.

She approached them slowly, her heels clicking too loudly in the suddenly very quiet September night. She reached the spot where they stood and appraised them. Up and down Casey, then Zeke. Took in the way they stood, their familiarity with each other. And each other's bodies.

When she spoke, it was in a tone neither had often, if ever heard from her. Almost defeated. Zeke had an intense urge to ask her to repeat herself.

She looked at Casey and softly told him she had to come and see for herself. What had made him leave. Then she looked at Zeke and said she understood now why she had been the one worth leaving.

She turned and walked away without another word, leaving Casey and Zeke stunned speechless. When they did finally regain some composure, they made their way into their place. Opening the door, getting beers out of the fridge, putting a movie in, settling in on the floor to eat behind their second hand coffee table.

Zeke was the one to break the silence. Leaned down and kissed Casey, tasting of Bud Light and spices. Pulled back, smiled at him with lips shiny-wet from their kiss and told Casey that now DC felt like home.


End file.
